The Pre-Code Companion, Issue #4: Midnight Mary, The Purchase Price, & Frisco Jenny

by Danny Reid, Kim Luperi, Molly Bugamelli

How much are you worth? Not figuratively this time, but dollar-wise? While all of us modern kids have had a lesson in selling yourself from the seminal classic Indecent Proposal, the pre-Code Hollywood era dealt with this quandary in many more shades of grey. Our three films for this issue all involve prostitution in some way, though it may be for money, power, or simply a way to start over. None show the path as easy– or as nasty– as many later Hollywood films would deem fitting.Features pieces on films Midnight Mary, The Purchase Price, and Frisco Jenny, as well as biographies of actors Loretta Young, George Brent, and director William A. Wellman.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2016

About the author

Danny Reid is a librarian who has been writing about pre-Code Hollywood for over a decade at pre-Code.com. His published writing includes Murder on Celluloid: A Companion to the Hildegarde Withers Film Series and acting as editor for the essay collection Thoughts on the Thin Man. Danny has introduced pre-Code film screenings around the world and appeared on podcasts to discuss the era. He currently lives in Germany with his wife, two kids, and three very silly dogs.

Reviews

[Magnus Stanke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very worthy entry in the all-too short-lived Pre-Code Companion series. The films discussed here are all William Wellman titles, a director who was at the peak of his creativity and churned out over a dozen flicks within three short years, most of which are actually very, very good.
'Midnight Mary' and 'Frisco Jenny' are certainly not to be missed.

[Kevin Measimer]

I am enjoying this series about the films of the american pre production code era. The format of exploring a major film of the period followed by an article about the star of the film makes for interesting reading.